Appendix G:

Power Use Calculations

This document describes the methods by which EWB-NEU selects a generator based on the
power demand of a submersible pump.
A pump will require a certain number of Watts (for the purpose of this example, we use 5
Watts); this is represented as the true power and represents the power used by a system doing
meaningful work. A power factor refers to the ratio of true power to apparent power. Apparent
power, measured in Volt-Amps, is the voltage on an AC system multiplied by all currents in the
system. The power factor is given by the following equation:
=

Applying a power factor of 0.86, typical of 5-20 hp motors running at approximately 100% load,
the actual power drawn by the pump will be
X/0.86 = 5/0.86 = 5.81 Watts
Our generator will be running intermittently, and should be expected to output less than its rated
output power, by approximately a factor of 0.9.
5.81/0.9 = 6.46 Watts
Generator capacity must be de-rated to reflect the installation altitude and temperature. The derating given in the Lister Petter TR1 data sheet for this particular generator is 1% for every 100
m (984 ft) of elevation higher than 100 m (328 ft) above sea level and 2% for every 5C (9F)
above 25C (77F). De-rating values are specific to the generator chosen; however, the
differences between de-rating values are small enough that we can assume values for now.
The Bbanda village is approximately 1300 m (4265 ft) above sea level. The generator house is
designed to allow a maximum temperature of 35C (105F), allowing that the generator house
temperature could rise 6C (10F) above the typical Bbanda high temperature of 35C (95F).
The following calculation shows the effective capacity of the selected generator to supply
adequate power to the pump:
6.46/0.87 (altitude de-rating) / 0.96 (temperature de-rating) = 7.73 Watts
Most diesel generators operate near their peak efficiency at 75% load.
7.73/0.75 = 10.31 Watts
This is the apparent power; some cut sheets will give this information, some will not. More likely
it will be given in true power measured in kW. Apply the typical power factor for a 3-phase
generator:
A 3-phase generator will have a power factor of approximately 0.8.
10.31/0.8 = 12.89 Volt-Amps